A letter from John "Bucky" Zanardelli
We can all forward similar or same. Any of our own stories to tell about fish kills etc.
rasmussen@savebuzzardsbay.org
Site is also worth checking out. Save Buzzards Bay
Mark,
I recently read the article on "The Coalition for Buzzards Bay". In
it you stated that the main threat is nitrogen. Here I am sitting at White Island
Pond which feeds Red Brook while empties into Buzzards Bag. For the last about
35+ years we the owners have been watching the Cranberry Bogs destroy our pond.
Almost every time they fertilize, we have an algae bloom. They have no rules
about dumping their waste water. They simply fertilize and then dump into the
pond and hence Red Brook. Same goes when they water, flood or we have a heavy
rain. There are no storage area or filtering areas. All the wastes are pumped
or gravity fed back into the pond. At harvest time, we can collect cranberries
off of our shores.
I believe that it all starts at the source. We have an association - but, in
the 35+ years that I have been a member no one from the association or as an
individual has been able to find anyone or any agency that will stand up to
the powerful cranberry owners. The owners do what they want. If we have a fish
kill, we simple clean the fish up our selves..no one cares. They say it is because
the pond is a private pond. No state ramp, ect.Yet, all of the waste and fertilizers
get to the Bay through Red Brook. Red Brook starts at White Island Pond and
it flows through many cranberry bogs as it makes it way to Buzzards Bay. We
have a Federal Fish Ladder right next to the flow into Red Brook. Yet again,
no one cares what goes out into the Bay. They only care what come up from it
I guess.
This large source of nitrogen should (must) be looked into before it is to late.
Do you or any of the people in the Coalition have any suggestions on how to
approach/correct this major problem?
Thank you.
John Zanardelli a very concerned friend of Buzzards Bay